Stories of Change

Manuel Mamani, Francisco Coanki Pacori and Julian Mamani are great mates. They are part of the collective of 14 committees who gather together to upskill through learning and discussing, and for friendship and solidarity. Men and... more»

In a joint initative, farmers from CONACADO have used some of their fair trade social premium to subsidise the cost of construction of a new water supply for the El Cercadillo community in the town of Yamasa in the central... more»

‘Fair trade has helped us to improve our quality of life in so many ways. All the improvements – the chickens, the cows, the tiles on my kitchen floor, the new coffee equipment – have only been possible thanks to my higher... more»

Shibani lost her parents at a young age, so missed out on opportunities that should have been available to her. It was when a neighbour noticed her artistic talent when she was arranging decorations for a Puja that she gained a... more»

Laxmi was a woman who had woven all of her life but had never seen the money from any of the work she had done. The money from her work had always gone to the male in her life: her father or her husband. When Laxmi had children... more»

In 2008 the Trade Aid education tour group visited Bangladesh and talked to a woman named Kemoni Shadipara. Kemoni is a widow. Her husband passed away four years ago and she is now bringing up four children on her own. Kemoni has... more»

Child labour is an issue that Tara Projects, a Trade Aid trading partner in India, works hard to educate about and work towards eradicating. Tara has collected footage using a hidden camera in small workshops in slum areas of... more»

Mestoyet dreams of working in a job that tackles gender issues. To pursue such a career, she will need to keep studying beyond grade 8 – the highest level that her school currently offers. But thanks to fair trade this remains a... more»

“Now we have a committee; we have transparency; we have democracy. Our society empowers women. Here in Uganda, women are not involved in decision-making – but we do all the work.”
Oliva is the treasurer of Gumutindo... more»

Jonti joined a fair trade paper making organisation when her husband’s illness left the family with no income. Through her earnings she was able to take her husband to hospital for treatment and, later, buy a medicine shop in... more»

"We’re making improvements here" says Juan Ponce Perez a small-scale coffee farmer who is a member of PRODECOOP, a coffee farmers co-operative in Nicaragua. Juan is taking a break from his regular routine. Normally, he’d be... more»

It’s hard to make a living as a rural farmer in Colombia. Many struggle to pay the bills and provide for their families with even the basic necessities. Markets for traditional agricultural products remain depressed and are... more»

The fight for independence and equality is a continual struggle for women in Nepal and for most it remains a dream to achieved by future generations. For Bhagbati Shrestha however, it is a dream coming true.
Bhagbati is an... more»

Opportunities for people with disabilities are slim in a city like Kolkata, where a third of the population live in slum communities and migrant workers flood the city looking for work. Sandipan Adhikari however, hasn’t had to... more»

Asha is the breadwinner in her family - a unique situation for a woman living in the male dominated society of Bangladesh, but not unique to Bangladeshi women involved in the fair trade handcraft industry. Through the creation of... more»